The Forbes “30 under 30” hustle

Zoe Bernard of The Information writes about how young entrepreneurs push to get themselves listed on the “30 under 30” list produced by Forbes magazine each year.

Bernard writes, “In the days before online nominations for the list closed, Jin and the co-founders of his company—a virtual reality camera maker called Lucid—quizzed past honorees for tips on how to make the list. He begged as many as 30 people, including family members, to nominate him. The process was such a singular obsession that Jin made the phrase ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ the password for various online accounts around the office (he has since changed them).

“For young professional strivers, landing on the list has become a status symbol that can lead to…it isn’t entirely clear what.

“Winners tuck the phrase ‘Forbes 30 Under 30′ into their social media bios, alongside blue verification check marks, if they have been blessed with them.

“The two most coveted symbols online are an Instagram verification and being on Forbes 30 Under 30,’ said Taylor Offer, founder of an apparel startup called Feat Socks, who mentions his Forbes win (class of 2018) in his Instagram bio. ‘It’s a mark of validation.’”

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